Kelsea Ballerini is opening up about her close bond with Noah Kahan following their emotional duet at CMA Fest, and she has nothing but praise for her friend and collaborator.
In a new interview with People, Ballerini shared how her friendship with the Stick Season singer has blossomed beyond music. “I adore Noah,” she said. “I got to know him as an artist and a collaborator, but now we’re dear friends and I just can’t say enough about the human being that he is. He’s a good human.”
The two artists performed together on the main stage at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest 2025, singing their 2024 duet “Cowboys Cry Too” as well as Kahan’s breakout hit “Stick Season.”
Ballerini recalled texting Kahan just days before the show. “I was like, ‘I’m sure the answer is you want to be a hermit right now, but just in case, do you want to come play CMA Fest?’” His response? “‘I’ve never done CMA Fest. I’ve never played a stadium.’ I was like, ‘Didn’t you headline Fenway?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but a proper football stadium.’”
According to Ballerini, Kahan said yes at the very last minute. Even after her set was cut short due to rain, she insisted on performing “Stick Season” with him. “You came all the way down here with your friends and your family,” she said. “We have to do ‘Stick Season.’”
“[Noah] is just a joy to be on stage with,” Ballerini added. “He has that ‘I’m just happy to be here’ mentality, which I love.”
The pair first teamed up for “Cowboys Cry Too,” released in April 2024, which Ballerini previously called a career highlight. “Thank you @noahkahanmusic for adding your uninhibited perspective and songwriting brilliance into this song,” she wrote at the time. “I couldn’t be more proud to put this music and message out alongside such a lovely artist and friend.”
Both artists have had busy years. Kahan’s Stick Season (Forever) reissue debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 in February, while Ballerini made a return to the main stage at CMA Fest and is now a brand ambassador for energy drink Celsius, which she affectionately calls “Kelsius.”